Apparatus for generating and burning hydrocarbon-vapors.



j. l. LEARY. APPARATUS FBR GENERATING AND BUR Nl NG HYDROCARBON VAPORS.

I MSPLICITION FILED JULY 3,1916- Patented Feb. 20, 1917..

to be readily attacked further barren JAMES IHRIE'LEAEY, DE GHICAGO, ILLINQES, AiESIGhTClB, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, U38 ONE-THIRD 0139 E. H. HGGAN, BQTLH 0F CHICAGfi, ILLINOIS,

DGUD AND ONE-THIED TO GEUELGE LEWIQ ZLPP ZLRATUS FOR GENERATING AND BURNING HYDRQCARBONJ AYPORS.

reissue.

Application filed July 3, 1916. Serialllo. 107,354.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Jan ins IHRIE LEARY, a'citizen of the United States, residing? at Chicago,.in the county of Cool: and State of Illinois, have invented new and. useful in provenients in Apparatus for Generating and Burning Hydrocarbon-Vapors, of which the follo vving i a specification,

1 This i ventionrelates to an apparatus for generating a hydrocarbon vapor from a hydro-carbon liquid, such coal oil, such generation being accomplished by heating the liquid in an inclosed chamber, and the first object of my invention is to provide a simple means oi. removing carbon residue from the interior of the generating chamber and to limit the formation ot'roxids within such. generating chamber, and the next ob ject of my invention is to provide a simple and compact device vtor such purpose.

It has been common in the art heretofore to provide a vaporizer for vaporizing hydrocarbon liquids in which the liquid is passed into a generating chamber or retort when itis vaporized, the vapor then passing to a burner, where the vapor burns. in such devices, the burner is arranged to heat the re tort.

'Such constructions, when used With certain kinds of hydrocarbons, for example, those having a high boiling point, such as kerosene, soon accumulate a deposit of carbonaceous material in the retort and burner, thus finally interfering With the operation of v the apparatus.

It has been found. that, it, while the retort and burner, with their crc ntained ca1'l')on, are hot, a hydrooxygen cleaning solution such. as water be supplied to theretort, the latter will 'be decomposed and "the oxygen will combine with the carbon to form carbonic oxide, particularly carbonic dioxid, which will pass out of the retort and burner in gaseous form, thus clearing these parts of solid carbon (leposits. But it has been found that such use of Water leads to an oxidation .of the iron of which the retort-and burner are constructed. This oxid scales oil leaving a fresh surface and the particles of scale pass on to clog the burner.

' It has been recognized that, for the purpose of ei'liciently heating the liquid. and its vapor in order to convert thesamc into a suitable condition for burning, the passages manna-um specification of Letters Patent.

menus Feb. so, ire-i v,

for the liquid and vapor should be relatively small in cross-section; Owing, however, to the deposits of carbon, on the one hand, and the ioi'i'nation of onids, on the other hand, a plurality of small. passages for the liquid and. vapor leads to diiiiculties, rendering the use oi. such generating chamber commeroi ally impracticable.

l h ave found, however, that by the generating chamber w h a pliu'ality of the lVfLllS oi": winch are toruied'ot hich is heat-conch:ctive and at the ne llIlLlBCOllllflOSfilllQ when heated and subjected to. the action of the hydrocarbon vapors and water, it becomes possible to supply the hydro-oxygen cleaning solution, such as Water, to the generating chambe at suiliciently frequent intervals to prevent the ob struction of the pass; by carbonand at the same time to avoid the formation of any oxide or salts which will scale oil.

Alter considerable experimeutation, I havefound that by providing the generating chan'ibor with a plurality of passages whose Walls are or aluminum, as, for example, by filling the generating chamber with a 1111111 her of aluminum 'wircs of such cross-section as will leave passages between the wires, for example, by making; them of the usual circular cross-smztion, the apparatus can be kept in continuous operation without danger of clogging. either from deposits of carbon or from ()XidS and salts formed during the providing operation oi removing the carbon. With such a constructum, the mass of aluminum .such aluminum is so supported that it cannot sag down.

The invention, broadly considered, consists of a vapor generator conu'irising a plurality of passages whose walls are formed of a material undecomposable by the hydrocarbon liquids and vapors and the vapors of the hydro-oxygen cleaning solution at the temperatures necessary for the production of suitable combustible gas.

The invention will now be described in connection with-the drawings, and then morev support for the generating chamber.

In the drawings, Ais an oil reservoir preferably square in cross-section and arranged to contain the hydro-carbon liquid, such, for example, as kerosene. Its back projects upward above its .top and is provided with a hole, indicated at H, to receive a suitable supporting device, as, for example, a hook K which may be fastened to a wall. The reservoir A is provided with a suitable outlet, in thepresent instance formed as a cup L, arranged to support a screen J through which the 'oilmust passin leaving the reservoir. iVithin the reservoir A isarr'anged .a water-conducting tube I held in place by a 'bracketQG and provided at its upper end with an inlet funnel F. The lower end of the tube is openand isarranged to discharge over the screen J of the outlet cup L. An outlet pipe or nipple M is attached to the cup, as by screw-threading. At the end of this pipe M is a valve N for controlling the supply of liquid to the generator. To this valve is attached a suitable connecting tube, indicated at O, which is intended to conduct" the liquid to the generating and burning device. This device, in the present embodiment of the invention, comprises a generating chamber of any suitable form,

' but advantageously constructed as a tube Q.

This tube is filled with a plurality of wires of such cross-section that, although they fill the interior of the generating chamber,

- mass of aluminum, with the passageways,--

they will form the walls of a plurality of passageways which serve to conduct the fluid. In the present example, the'wires are ofcir'cular cross-section, so that the interstices' between the wires constitute the passages. The wires are made of a material which is not susceptible to rapid chemical change or decomposition when heated with hydrocarbon liquids or hydro-oxygen clean ing solutions such as water at the temperature of vaporization of such liquid. By achave found that aluminum wire or iiragments are most desirable for this purposeFTSincethe-y are etlicient in practice and comparativelyinexpensive, the

constitute an efiicient device for sub-dividing the liquid' and vapors into portions or streams and at the same time is a good conductor of heat from the walls of the tube Q, to such portions or streams of the liquid and vapors. The material constituting the walls of these passages is undecomposable under the action of the heat and vapors, so, that when the cleaning solution is injected to burn out any carbon which may be deposited, no scale which can loosen and obstruct the passages or the burner openings, is produced. Furthermore, while the inner'wall of the tube Q, may be oxidized during the cleaning operation, the oxid is held in place by the mass of aluminum, so that it cannot scale ofi' and pass to the burner openings to obstruct the same. As a result of this, it is practicable to use the cleaning solution frequently and thereby remove any carbon'deposits at such frequent intervals as to preserve the passageways practically unobstructed.

The tube Q, is connected in any suitable manner with aburner tube S advantageously arranged below the tube Q. and provided with suitable burner openings 53. In' the example shown, the connection between the tubes Q, and S is made by ordinary pipeelbows, a connecting nipple joining the elbows. This connecting device is indicated at R, Fig. 1. The end of the pipe S is closed in any suitable way, as, for example, by a cap 13. The tube Q, is protected from the direct heat of the flames at the burner openings 53 by suitable deflectors, as, for example, the castings E arranged to slide or turn freely on the tube Q, these deflectors E having flat surfaces at the bottom adjusted directly above or opposite the burner openings 53. The tubes Q, and S and their'attached parts are supported in any suitable way above a prime lighter of any suitable construction. In the present exam'ple, this prime lighter is formed as a tray, indicated at C, having legs X and Y arranged to rest on a grate'or other support within a firebox. The tray is filled with a suitable fireproof absorbent, such as asbestos wool. If desired, the generating and burning device may be supported from this prime lighter, as, for example, by providing the tray W with a socket V into which is'secured an upright U advantageously 'in the form of a nipple connected at its other end to an ordinary pipe fitting T, as indicated at T, which fits over the pipe Q, and is engaged at one side by a lock nut 12, and on the other side by a coupling P suitably screwthreadcd to the pipe Q. j

The operation of the device is; as follows The generator being set into the firebox of a furnace or stove and the fuel reservoir being"'l'illed with a suitable. hydroearlwn liquid, such, for example, as coal oi h'jind hung on to the hook K, the valve" is openedlto allow enough liquid fuel to pass through the apparatus and out the burner orifices 52-} to saturate ti 5 asbestos I The valve N is then closed and a light applied to the asbestos to ignite the fuel; The heat thus generated heats the tube (Q and the aluminum wires. sages between the ahuninum wires is' raised to a temperature of vaporimition, and the vapor passes through the. burner openings 53 and is ignited. At this stage the valve N is again open d, whereby there is a continuous supply of fuel to the generator. This fuel is vaporized by the heat and vapor passing out through the burner openings where it mixes with the air and burns. Zach flame strikes the corresponding plate E which spreads it. By a suitable adjustment of the plates I with relation to the pipe Q,

the flames may be deflected, as. required;

The back pressure due to the vaporization of the fluid controls the flow of liquid fuel from thereservoir A. 5

After the device has been in operation for some time, residiie carbon will accumulate in the passages between the aluminum wires. It the operation was permitted to continue long'enough. the deposit of carbon would be so great as toclog these passages. Before this condition has arisen, steps are taken to remove the accumulated carbon.,

This removal operation is as follows: While the device is burning and the carbon residue is hot. it suitable hydro-oxygen cleaiiing solution. usually water only, is supplied to the apparatus through the tunnel l, as, for example. by dropping it from a medicine dropper. The cleaning solution will pass down through the tube I. the screen J and through the pipe into the generating chamber. .\t this place the heat will convcrt the water into vapor and. owing to the presence l' the heated carbon. \vill decompose the vapor. The carbon combines with the oxygen of the water to form carbondioxid which will pass out through the gen- Any liquid in the paserating chamber, and through the burner orifices. in this way the carbon is removed trom the gen 'rating chamber, while, on the other hand. no injurious scale is formed to clog the passages or the burner openings. As a result of the invention, heavy hydrocarlmns can be vaporized and burned without the troubles heretofore ex perieneed from the deposit of carbon or the interruption of the operation by the formation of scale when removing the carbon.

Having thus described my invention 1 claim l. In a hydrocarbon generator, the combination with a generating chamber and means for heating the same. of a mass of aluminum within the generating chamber and arranged to come in contact with liquid and vapor passing through the retort, and means for supplying a vaporizable hydrocarbon to the retort, and means tor supplying a hydro-oxygen cleaning solution to said retort.

if. A vapor generator con'iprising a vaporizing device with passages having walls of aluminum, said walls being reinforced by a generator wall of conductive material, whereby when heated the aluminum cannot sag.

3. A fuel reservoir provided with an outlet in its lower portion. a downward eX- tending tube within such fuel reservoir, the upper end of such tube terminating above the fuel level of such reservoir and its lower end terminating directly over such t'uel outlet. an intervening screen between the lower end of such tube a d the outlet of such reservoir, and a generating chamber connected with such reservoir outlet at one end and having orifices in its other portions beyond the point of generation. substantially as and for the purpose described.

JAMES lliltll l LEARY.

Witnesses:

ANNA I). Maonm, (l. Alt'lIllR Pl-1(K. 

